IGCSE Edexcel Maths 1 hour 31 questions

Surds
Simplifying Surds / Rationalising Denominators

Medium (8 questions) /20 Scan here for your answers

Very Hard (10 questions) /32

Total Marks /89

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Medium Questions
12
1 (a) Show that can be rewritten as 4 3
3

(2 marks)

(b) Show that ( 2 + 8 ) 2 = 18

(2 marks)

2 Show that ( 12 − 3 ) 2 = 3

(2 marks)

10
3 Show that can be rewritten as 2 5
5

(2 marks)

12
4 Show that
3+2

can be written in the form a b where a is a simplified fraction and b is an integer.

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 (2 marks)

5 Show that (6 + 2 12 ) 2 = 12(7 + 4 3 )

Show each stage of your working.

(3 marks)

20 + 80
6 Show that can be expressed in the form a where a is an integer.
3

Show your working clearly.

(3 marks)

7 Show that 45 + 20 = 5 5
Show your working clearly.

(2 marks)

8 Without using a calculator, show that 20 = 2 5 .

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 (2 marks)

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Hard Questions
5 5 2
1 (a) Show that can be written as
2 2

(2 marks)

(b) Show that (2 + 3 ) 2 − (2 − 3 ) 2 = 8 3

(2 marks)

2 Show that (1 + 2 ) (3 − 2 ) = 1 + 2 2

(2 marks)

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3 (a) Martin did this question.

14
Rationalise the denominator of
2+ 3

Here is how he answered the question.

14 14 × (2 − 3)
=
2+ 3 (2 + 3 ) (2 − 3)

28 − 14 3
=
4 + 2 3 − 2 3 +3
28 − 14 3
=
7
= 4− 2 3

Martin's answer is wrong.

Find Martin's mistake.

(1 mark)

(b) Sian did this question.

5
Rationalise the denominator of
12

Here is how she answered the question.

5 5 12
=
12 12 × 12

5 ×3 2
=
12
5 2
=
4

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 Sian's answer is wrong.

Find Sian's mistake.

(1 mark)

(6 − 5 ) (6 + 5 )
4 Simplify fully
31

You must show your working.

(3 marks)

5 Show that 5( 8 + 18 ) can be written in the form a 10 and state the value of a .
You must show your full working.

(3 marks)

(4 − 3 ) (4 + 3 )
6 Show that simplifies to 13 .
13

(2 marks)

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7 (a) Show that 3+ 12 can be rewritten as 3 3

(2 marks)

⎛⎜ 1 ⎞⎟7 3
(b) Show that ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ =
⎝ 3 ⎠ 81

(3 marks)

4
8 Rationalise the denominator of
7− 5

Show each stage of your working.

Give your answer in the form a + b 5 where a and b are fractions in their simplest
forms.

(3 marks)

9 Given that y is a prime number,

3 a +b y
express in the form where a , b and c are integers.
2− y c−y

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 (2 marks)

6
10 Without using a calculator, rationalise the denominator of
3− 7
Simplify your answer.
You must show each stage of your working.

(3 marks)

8
11 Show that can be written in the form n + n , where n is an integer.
8 −2

Show your working clearly.

(3 marks)

2
12 Express in the form p + q
3 −1

where p and q are integers.

(2 marks)

13 Show that (5 3 − 12 ) 2 simplifies to an integer.

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 (3 marks)

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Very Hard Questions
1 a= 8 +2
b = 8 −2
T = a2 − b 2

Show that T = c 2 stating the value of c

(4 marks)

6− 8
2 Show that can be written in the form a + b 2 where a and b are integers.
2 −1

(3 marks)

1
3 Show that can be written as 2 − 2
1
1+
2

(3 marks)

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4 a= 8 +4
b = 8 −4

( a – b ) ( a + b ) can be written in the form y 4y

Find the value of y

(3 marks)

a+ 4b
5 Rationalise the denominator of where a is an integer and b is a prime
a− 4b
number.

Simplify your answer.

(3 marks)

2 a+ a
6 Show that can be written in the form
6−3 2 b

where a and b are integers.

(3 marks)

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 8
7 Express in the form a +b where a and b are integers.
5 −1

Show each stage of your working clearly.

(3 marks)

8 The area of a rectangle is 18 cm2

The length of the rectangle is ( 7 + 1) cm.

Without using a calculator and showing each stage of your working, find the width of the
rectangle.

Give your answer in the form a b +c where a , b and c are integers.

..................... cm

(3 marks)

4+ 8
9 Show that can be written in the form a + b 2 , where a and b are integers.
2 −1

Show each stage of your working clearly and give the value of a and the value of b .

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 (3 marks)

(4 + 2 5 ) 3 5 +7
10 Show that can be simplified to
5 −1 2

(4 marks)

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